Convertible pump dispenser and method

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for dispensing liquids or high viscous products from a container. The apparatus includes a pump dispenser that is manually convertible into a cap dispenser. When desired, the pump dispenser is removed from the rest of the cap construction. The hole in the cap left by the removed pump dispenser can then be covered by a cap dispenser. In an uncapped position, the hole allows the contents of the container to be emptied when the container is inverted.

CROSS REFERENCE TO A RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Application, entitled “Convertible Pump Dispenser and Method,” Ser. No. ______, Attorney Docket No. 86343-00002, filed on Mar. 14, 2006, which is herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Various pump dispensers are known for dispensing liquids and high viscous products from containers. One example is the hand or body lotion container having a manual pump mechanism for home and personal use. Unfortunately, it is often difficult if not impossible to pump out all of the liquid in the container, resulting in wasted, undispensed product.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an apparatus and a method which allows users to effectively dispense all or nearly all of the liquid or viscous product from a container. Thus, disclosed herein is an apparatus and method for dispensing fluids which combines features of a pump dispenser and a cap dispenser into a single convertible dispensing apparatus. Users can easily remove the pump dispenser element from the cap once it is ineffective at dispensing further liquid or viscous product out from the container, and effectively then convert the cap into a cap dispenser.

According to one aspect of the invention, a method is provided which includes: using a pump assembly, pumping some but not all of a liquid or viscous substance from a container such that a portion of the liquid or viscous substance remains in the container; after the pumping step, removing the pump assembly from the container; after the removing step, closing a pump assembly opening in the top of the container; after the closing step, inverting the container and allowing at least some of the remaining portion to flow to the bottom of the container; and after the inverting step, allowing at least some of the portion to flow out of a bottom opening in the bottom of the container.

The method described above wherein the removing of the pump assembly step includes unscrewing the pump assembly.

The method described above wherein the removing of the pump assembly step includes pulling the pump assembly out from a snap secured position.

The method described above wherein the pump assembly is a manually is a manually-actuable pump assembly.

The method described above wherein the allowing at least some of the portion to flow step includes opening the bottom opening.

The method described above wherein the pump assembly opening is coincident with the bottom opening.

The method described above wherein the closing the pump assembly opening step includes twisting a closure cap.

The method described above wherein the closing the pump assembly opening step includes sliding a closure plate.

The method described above wherein the inverting the container step includes positioning the inverted container on a surface.

The method described above wherein the allowing to flow step includes lifting the inverted container off of the surface and opening the bottom opening.

The method described above wherein the inverting allows at least substantially all of the portion to flow to the bottom.

The method described above wherein the closing the pump assembly opening step includes sliding a closure mechanism to an open position.

The method described above wherein the allowing at least some of the portion to flow step includes sliding the closure mechanism to an open position.

The method described above wherein the opening the pump assembly step includes twisting a closure mechanism to a closed position.

According to another aspect of the invention, an assembly is provided which includes: a cap construction; means for releasably securing the cap construction to a neck of a container in a secured position; means for attaching a pump assembly to the cap construction such that with the cap construction in the secured position the pump assembly can be operable to pump liquid or viscous product from the container; the attaching means allowing the pump assembly to be removed from the container to a removed position; means for covering the opening in the cap construction when the pump assembly is moved from the secured position to the removed position such that the container can be inverted to allow remaining liquid or viscous substance to flow to a bottom of the container in a product removal position; and means for allowing the liquid or viscous substance in the removal position to exit out through the cap construction.

According to a further aspect of the invention, an apparatus for dispensing liquids or high viscous products is provided which includes: a cap enclosure for containers holding such liquids and high viscous products; a pump dispenser element generally at the center of the cap enclosure; and a cap dispenser element that is enabled upon the removal of the pump dispenser element.

The above cap enclosure is configured such that it either gradually protrudes out from its base to its top (like a flower petal or a door knob) or has other stabilizing aspects to stabilize the cap/container when the container is flipped upside down and is resting on the cap. In yet another aspect, the present invention provides a container including a cap having defined therein a central passageway, at least a portion of which is a threaded surface capable of receiving and securing therein a threaded portion of a pump dispenser and the threaded portion of the passageway capable of providing a flowpath for contents therethrough when the pump dispenser is not secured in the threaded portion of the passageway. The container may further include a pump dispenser having a threaded portion which is capable of engaging with the threaded portion of the passageway such that in such engaged position, the pump dispenser can pump contents therethrough. In one embodiment of the present invention, the container includes a neckportion which includes said threaded portion. The threaded portion of the passageway may be used to dispense residual contents inside the container by inverting the container. In an another aspect of the present invention, a container including a cap construction having a neck portion containing blades which are capable of twisting such that the blades move in a radial direction, and when the blades radially move sufficiently in an outward direction, a large enough aperture is defined inside the neck portion to receive and secure therein a threaded portion of a pump dispenser and the aperture is capable of providing a flowpath for contents therethrough when the pump dispenser is not secured in the aperture. This container may further include a pump dispenser which is capable of passing through the aperture and thereby being secured by the blades and the pump dispenser designed to pump contents of the container therethrough. In this container, the aperture may be used to dispense residual contents inside the container by inverting the container. In yet another aspect, the present invention provides a cap subassembly including a sealing and unsealing component having defined thereon an aperture that allows contents to flow through the component and a sealing portion that does not allow contents to flow through the component, wherein the component is capable of being displaced from a first position to a second position such that in the first position, the component allows contents to pass therethrough and in the second position, the component does not allow contents to pass therethrough. The aperture of the component is capable of being aligned with an aperture defined in a container such that contents inside the container can pass through the apertures when the component is in the first position. The sealing portion may be capable of being out of alignment with an aperture defined in a container such that contents inside the container cannot pass through the apertures when the component is in the second position. The cap assembly may further include a cap to cover the component. The component may be an open and close radial valve element that adjusts to quarter locking turns of the component. The component may be a disk-top dispensing cap. The aperture of the component is capable of receiving and securing therein a pump dispenser that is designed to pump contents out of a container.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent to those persons having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains from the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional elevational view of a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing the embodiment with the pump dispenser removed;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 with the pump dispenser removed, the opening closed and the assembly inverted;

FIG. 4 is a sectional elevational view of a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 and showing the pump dispenser in a removed position;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged top view of the closure mechanism of the assembly of FIGS. 1 and 5 showing it being twisted to the open position, as illustrated in FIG. 6A;

FIG. 7 is a view of the closure mechanism in a closed position;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 4 showing an alternative embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8 but with the pump dispenser removed;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged top view of the closure mechanism of the assembly of FIG. 8 illustrated in a closed position; and

FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 10 showing the mechanism in an open position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the drawings, a number of embodiments of the present invention are illustrated. FIG. 1 shows generally at 100 a first assembly of the present invention. Assembly 100 includes a cap construction shown generally at 110, a container, shown generally at 120 and having side walls 130, a top wall 149, a bottom wall 150 and a neck 160 having an opening 170 through which the liquid or viscous substance 180 is inserted. The assembly 100 further includes a cap construction 200 having a threaded portion 210 which threads onto the outer threaded surface 220 of the neck. The cap construction 200 further includes a central passageway having a threaded surface 240 for receiving and securing therein the threaded portion 250 on the body 260 of a pump dispenser 270.

The pump dispenser 270 can be a conventional pump dispenser having a body portion 260, an elongate suction passageway 270 secured to the body, and an angled actuator 280 having a through passage 290 upwardly biased by a spring 290 in the body portion. The pump dispenser then when threaded into position and the cap construction threaded onto the container is actuable in a conventional manner. In other words, a user can press gently down on of the top surface of the actuator portion up and down to pump the fluid out of the container and out the outlet 300 of the dispenser onto the desired surface, such as the user's hands.

The pump dispenser, as known in the art, does not effectively pump out the entire amount of fluid from the container. Rather, a remaining or residual portion 300, as shown in FIG. 2, remains.

To remove this remaining portion of the fluid 300 and pursuant to this invention, the pump dispenser 270 is removed from the container, the top of the opening in the cap construction is then closed as will be described later in this disclosure. The container 120 is then inverted and positioned upside down with the flat upper, now lower, surface 310 of the cap resting on the table or other support surface 320 and thereby providing a stable support for the container. With the container 120 then in this inverted position, the viscous fluid 300 will flow along the bottom wall into the neck. When it is then desired to remove this remaining fluid 300, the container is lifted off of the support surface, the closure 320 is opened allowing the remaining fluid to flow out of the container. If the container is a flexible-walled container, the user may be able to squeeze the walls to help completely dispense the remaining fluid 300.

While FIGS. 1 and 2 show a threaded mechanism for releasably securing the pump element to the cap construction, FIGS. 4 and 5 show an alternative snap-fit means. More particularly, it shows a ring-type ridge 330 on the body portion of the pump dispenser which resiliently fits into a corresponding groove 340 in the cap construction. To fit the pump dispenser in position in the cap construction, such as shown in FIG. 4, the pump dispenser is pushed until it snaps into position. To remove it from the cap construction, such as shown in FIG. 5, the pump dispenser is simply pulled out of the cap construction.

The container closure 320 can be any of a number of constructions. One construction is to have radial blades 350, which when the construction is twisted will move radially inward to a closed position as shown in FIG. 7 and outward to an open position as shown in FIG. 6A. The fully open position of FIG. 6A can be used when the pump dispenser is to be inserted therein. An intermediate open position, which is depicted in FIG. 6, can be used when it is desired to remove the remaining fluid from the container, as shown in FIG. 3. Alternatively, it is within the scope of this invention to reverse the open and intermediate positions. A further alternative is to only have a fully open position which is usable for both uses.

To open and close the radial blades 350, the flanges 360 of the cap construction are grasped and turned relative to the lower body 370 of the cap construction.

Instead of this turning blade-closure mechanism, a sliding closure mechanism can be used as shown in FIGS. 8 through 11, generally at 400. FIGS. 8 and 11 show the sliding mechanism 400 in a fully open position, and FIGS. 9 and 10 show it in a closed position.

Further explanations and embodiments of the present invention will now be described.

Initially, the pump dispenser element can be secured to the cap by an interior threading between the interior walls of an outside frame of the pump cylinder and the cylinder portion of the pump dispenser, by protruding parts of the pump dispenser element fitting into indentations within such interior walls, or by a similar mechanism to initially secure the pump dispenser element to the cap.

Once the pump dispenser can no longer effectively dispense the liquid or viscous substance, the pump dispenser element can be easily removed from the cap of the container. It can be removed by unscrewing threaded portions of the pump body, by depressing a button (not shown) that communicates with protruding parts of the cylinder portion so that they become flush with the rest of the pump body, or by a similar, easily removable mechanism.

Once the pump dispenser is removed from the cap, an adjustable opening and closing dispensing mechanism for the cap is enabled. This mechanism can be in the form of an open and closed radial valve element that adjusts to quarter locking turns of the cap. Alternatively, it can be a disk-top dispensing cap or another simple cap dispensing mechanism. Although the mechanism is preferably not separable from the cap so as to get lost, it is within the scope of the invention to provide for a separate cap mechanism of a separate cap held by a lanyard (not shown) or the like to the cap construction.

The container is then flipped upside down so that the remaining liquid or product collects at the neck or cap area for easy dispensing through the adjustable cap closure, when subsequently opened.

The open-and-close radial valve construction can be disabled such that the blades of the valve will be dormant and rest at the perimeter and underneath the cap while the pump dispensing element is in use. On the other hand, if the disk top dispensing cap mechanism is used, it can be dispensed by a locking mechanism on the disk while the pump dispenser is in use.

To stabilize the cap and container when it is flipped upside down, the present invention can also include a cap shape that gradually protrudes out from its base to its top or have other stabilizing aspects.

From the foregoing detailed description, it will be evident that there are a number of changes, adaptations and modifications of the present invention which come within the province of those skilled in the art. The scope of the invention includes any combination of the elements from the different species or embodiments disclosed herein, as well as subassemblies, assemblies, and methods thereof. However, it is intended that all such variations not departing from the spirit of the invention be considered as within the scope thereof. 

1. A container comprising a cap having defined therein a central passageway, at least a portion of which is a threaded surface capable of receiving and securing therein a threaded portion of a pump dispenser and said threaded portion of said passageway capable of providing a flowpath for contents therethrough when said pump dispenser is not secured in said threaded portion of said passageway.
 2. The container of claim 1, further comprising a pump dispenser having a threaded portion which is capable of engaging with said threaded portion of said passageway such that in such engaged position, said pump dispenser can pump contents therethrough.
 3. The container of claim 1, wherein said container includes a neckportion which includes said threaded portion.
 4. The container of claim 1, wherein said threaded portion of said passageway is used to dispense residual contents inside said container by inverting said container.
 5. A container comprising a cap construction including a neck portion containing blades which are capable of twisting such that said blades move in a radial direction, and when said blades radially move sufficiently in an outward direction, a large enough aperture is defined inside said neck portion to receive and secure therein a threaded portion of a pump dispenser and said aperture is capable of providing a flowpath for contents therethrough when said pump dispenser is not secured in said aperture.
 6. The container of claim 5, wherein further comprising a pump dispenser which is capable of passing through said aperture and thereby being secured by said blades and said pump dispenser designed to pump contents of said container therethrough.
 7. The container of claim 5, wherein said aperture is used to dispense residual contents inside said container by inverting said container.
 8. A cap subassembly comprising a sealing and unsealing component having defined thereon an aperture that allows contents to flow through said component and a sealing portion that does not allow contents to flow through said component, wherein said component is capable of being displaced from a first position to a second position such that in said first position, said component allows contents to pass therethrough and in said second position, said component does not allow contents to pass therethrough.
 9. The cap subassembly of claim 8, wherein said aperture of said component is capable of being aligned with an aperture defined in a container such that contents inside said container can pass through said apertures when said component is in said first position.
 10. The cap subassembly of claim 8, wherein said sealing portion is capable of being out of alignment with an aperture defined in a container such that contents inside said container cannot pass through said apertures when said component is in said second position.
 11. The cap assembly of claim 8, further comprising a cap to cover said component.
 12. The cap assembly of claim 8, wherein said component is an open and close radial valve element that adjusts to quarter locking turns of said component.
 13. The cap assembly of claim 8, wherein said component is a disk-top dispensing cap.
 14. The cap assembly of claim 8, wherein said aperture of said component is capable of receiving and securing therein a pump dispenser that is designed to pump contents out of a container. 